Twin teenage dilemmas: obesity and stress

Teenage Obesity & Stress

Teens always have the same problem: how to rebel and conform at the same time. They solve this dilemma by defying their parents and copying one another. As parents ourselves, we understand the physical and psychological affects of acne, obesity and stress, particularly at exam time.

The good news is that if we take decisive steps to support and help our children through this painful period of their lives; normality resumes sooner rather than later.

Obesity and Stress: the inextricable link

We could point the finger at fast food chains, slick primetime advertising, the career vs. family dilemma, the amount of time our children are inactive – absorbed with iPhones, TV, social media (or all three at the same time). We could blame our teachers, who some regard as de facto caretakers of their nutrition…

The fact is, they are our children. And nothing changes until we commit not just to visible weight loss but to a much broader issue: that our kids see physical activity as a pleasure and a lifelong habit that supports and underpins everything they do in life.

As it now stands, low self-esteem associated with being overweight is a significant and heartbreaking issue. Imagine feeling socially excluded from peer groups, parties, sports teams and school events – being the brunt of cruel jokes because you don’t fit in.

And then add to that a new phenomenon: the online bullying that we as parents never encountered. We watch in concern. We apply rules and boundaries. But most of us would admit that sometimes, we are in unfamiliar waters…

We can and will help

There are of course many ways to counteract the cyber world (extra-curricular school or club activities for instance). In the real world, there is also Prana. We can and will help.

Our well-respected and experienced Personal Trainer is a deeply involved parent himself, and well knows the excuses that children use to avoid activity! Consistent with our holistic approach to health, beauty and wellbeing, your child is not cajoled into activity he or she sees as ‘punishment’, difficult to do, or ‘pointless’.

Neither is he or she subject to strict diets (youthful metabolism is well equipped to deal with the foods they enjoy in moderation). He knows that with regular enjoyable exercise the natural balance is restored. It is up to all of us to provide the environment for physically strong, intellectually capable, happy, resilient and personally confident children.

Teenage stress

As adults, we know that a certain amount of stress is good, because it keeps us on our toes and gives us the skills to deal with the inevitabilities of life. But stress can reach unacceptable levels in our teenagers as study schedules, exam results, peer group pressure and parental expectations all compete for attention. So, what should we now do to alleviate the stress?

Clearly, there are movies, games to play and other ‘stress breaks’ that offer temporary interludes – diversions which alleviate stress for a short time. But those activities offer very little by way of enhancing a child’s concentration and focus.

According to Phillip Tomporowski PD, in a University of Georgia study Effects of Exercise on Cognition which examined focus, concentration, response timeframes and decision-making; steady-paced activity for between 20 to 40 minutes (in contrast to exhaustive workouts which increased fatigue and reduced mental concentration) was found to improve the brain’s ability to solve problems and focus selectively on information that was relevant, while blocking information that was not relevant.

What can you do

Prana offers you the services of our well-respected Personal Trainer who’s experience bears out the commonsense of those studies, and who’s methodology is consistent with a holistic approach to wellbeing, intellectual capacity and mental concentration.

As deeply involved parent himself, Prana’s co-owner knows well that only enjoyable and rewarding physical activity works to relieve stress. Thus, your child is not cajoled into activity he or she sees as ‘punishment’, boring, difficult to do, or ‘pointless’.

A broader and sustainable goal

We aim for a much broader and sustainable goal: a teenager who not only sees physical activity as a pleasure but a lifelong habit that will support and underpin everything he or she wishes to achieve. Equilibrium is everything. With regular rhythmic exercise, teenagers are focused, calm, intellectually capable and confident in their ability to deal with whatever life brings. In short, we have provided the environment for them to deal with life’s challenges.

The Prana Credo: do as you would wish for your own

As parents ourselves we understand the importance of using and supplying products which meet a strict professional criteria and are sourced from reputable and reliable Australian suppliers. You may rest assured that Prana takes our responsibility to parent and child very seriously, and only endorse those treatments we know to be safe and effective.